My Hero Academia: Thunder God

"Hm?"

The voice that called out was unexpectedly pleasant, so Kaminari turned around. Tetsutetsu, standing next to him with his hands shoved in his pockets, reluctantly stopped as well, glancing back to see who it was.

"A girl... another girl?" Tetsutetsu's expression immediately stiffened.

Is this what it's like to be a star? Girls just call out to you wherever you go?

"Looks like we really did run into each other here!"

The girl, with short purple hair, walked up quickly and started looking Kaminari up and down without a hint of shyness, almost as if she were confirming something.

Kaminari, ever the showman, flashed a charming smile and said, "Hey, I'm Kaminari Denki. And you are?"

Since she was here, it was pretty clear she was also a candidate for the U.A. entrance exam, possibly even a future classmate. He couldn't afford to act cold or distant, even if he was used to being treated like a celebrity.

Not that he was that type of person anyway.

"My name's Jiro Kyoka," she said confidently, offering her hand for a handshake. "I'm also here for the Hero Course. Looking forward to working with you, especially when it comes to rock and roll!"

She extended her right hand boldly, clearly full of confidence in how she'd perform in the test.

"Uh, sure..."

Kaminari was caught slightly off guard but quickly shook her hand. After all, who would refuse a handshake from a cute girl? Maybe she's an orphan, too... Well, as expected, her hand's nice and soft, Kaminari thought with an internal chuckle. He shook her hand briefly, then let go.

"Hey, there's only ten minutes left before the briefing starts," Tetsutetsu suddenly said from beside him, his voice flat. He was always punctual, it definitely wasn't because he had any ulterior motives...

"And who's this?" Kyoka asked, coolly tilting her head toward Tetsutetsu. Her right hand casually toyed with the headphone jack attached to her ear.

A closer look revealed that the jack wasn't just an accessory. It was actually connected to her earlobe clearly part of her Quirk.

"Is that part of her ability? Seems sound-based," Kaminari noted to himself, making a mental note as he resumed climbing the stairs. He was about to introduce Tetsutetsu, but his friend beat him to it.

"Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu!" he declared, puffing out his chest proudly. "I'm Kaminari's best friend, and the future number one pro Hero!"

"Uh... hello," Kyoka replied, momentarily taken aback by his boisterous introduction. But after a brief pause, she gave a genuine smile. Tetsutetsu's straightforward personality was hard to dislike.

And just like that, the duo became a trio, with Kaminari leading the way through the open red door labeled "2."

"Man, talking to girls so easily..."

At the back of the group, Midoriya Izuku watched them with a bit of envy. He'd just met a girl earlier, but all he did was stammer a few words. He didn't even manage a proper response before the moment passed.

Even though it had been thrilling just to have a girl speak to him, he couldn't help feeling a little regret. Seeing Kaminari chat so effortlessly with girls only made him more self-conscious.

As he stared after them, a lyric from the song "Hero"—a song he'd had on repeat for days popped into his head:

"Even with girls, you've got to take the first step! You can't just sit and watch! Have the courage to speak up!"

"Courage…" Midoriya muttered under his breath, clenching his fists tightly as determination swelled inside him.

Ten minutes later, in a spacious lecture hall filled with rows of seats, the exam briefing finally began. The event was hosted by the one and only Present Mic, a top-tier pro Hero known for his DJ skills and signature booming voice.

Behind him, a massive electronic screen displayed the U.A. emblem, simple but unmistakable. Every student in the room immediately recognized it.

"Welcome, everyone, to my live broadcast!" Present Mic announced, his energetic voice echoing through the hall. "Everybody-Say-Hey!!"

His over-the-top energy, combined with his rap-like tone, was both amusing and distinctly his own. It almost felt like an American rapper speaking Japanese. This was his unique style, and the students familiar with him couldn't help but get a bit excited.

Well, except for the fact that everyone was still too nervous to respond. Silence filled the room as no one dared to follow his cue.

Kaminari smirked at the awkwardness. This was amusing.

Especially when Present Mic awkwardly muttered about how "boring" the students were for not playing along. Kaminari thought this whole exchange did wonders to ease the tension in the room.

Meanwhile, Tetsutetsu and Kyoka, sitting on either side of him, were both clearly more nervous than he was. They hadn't said a word since entering the hall, their lips pressed into thin lines.

"Well then, dear listeners! Let me give you the rundown on today's practical exam!"

Despite the lack of enthusiasm from the audience, Present Mic recovered quickly, launching into his usual routine. The guy was a pro, after all.

But he still couldn't resist trying to get one more interaction.

"Are-you-ready?!"

...Silence. Again.

Kaminari couldn't help but chuckle under his breath. The only person who seemed genuinely excited by Present Mic's energy was Midoriya, who had probably been a fan of his broadcasts for years. Kaminari could tell he admired Present Mic quite a bit.

"Just like it says in the exam guide, you'll all be participating in a ten-minute 'simulated cityscape battle!'"

"You're allowed to bring anything you need. After I finish explaining, you'll head to your designated test sites!"

Kaminari glanced at the exam ticket he'd received earlier and noticed that he, Tetsutetsu, and Kyoka were all assigned to the same test site—Test Site C. That brought a mix of relief and anxiety. While it was nice to be with familiar faces, they were also direct competitors now.

But Kaminari's mind was elsewhere. His focus was more on understanding the rules that Present Mic was explaining. In an exam like this, knowing the rules inside and out could make all the difference.

With over a thousand candidates and only forty spots available, he couldn't afford to slip up.

As Present Mic continued, the screen behind him switched to a series of images.

"Each test site is filled with various categories of 'villains,' and they're divided by difficulty. Defeating them will earn you points based on their level!"

"Use your Quirks to defeat these 'villains' and rack up as many points as you can. That's the name of the game!"

"The 'villains' are robots..." Kaminari observed, easily recognizing the shapes shown on screen. A wave of relief washed over him. If they were robots... well, this was going to be fun.

Present Mic then spun around dramatically, pointing toward the audience and giving a stern warning.

"And remember! Attacking fellow candidates is strictly prohibited! Such behavior goes against the spirit of being a Hero!"

The "spirit of Heroism," huh? Kaminari thought. While this line might not have meant much to some of the other students, it struck a chord with him. He was starting to piece together the deeper meaning behind this exam.

Coupled with what he already knew about U.A., he felt about 80% confident in his theory... but something still didn't sit right.

"I have a question!" A sudden voice broke through Kaminari's thoughts. A tall, imposing figure in the crowd raised his hand, and a spotlight immediately illuminated him.

What followed was a pointless back-and-forth that, in Kaminari's eyes, wasted everyone's time.

Kaminari sighed in annoyance. The guy's question was self-righteous and unnecessary. U.A. wouldn't have such a glaring loophole in their exam. Sure enough, Present Mic casually thanked him and moved on.

"The fourth category of villains is worth 0 points! They're only there to slow you down!"

"There's one at every test site. While they can be defeated, it's not worth your time! I recommend you avoid them at all costs!"

"This is it!"

Kaminari's eyes lit up. He was now 90% sure he'd cracked the code of this exam.

"The structure of this test... it's a bit predictable."